Go green with Spinach Spaghetti

Have you ever seen words forming images? In my case yes. Many idioms have been dancing in my head for a while, trying desperately to form images. Or is it called hallucination?? However I tried, they were becoming stronger & stronger and taking centrestage amongst them were these popular sayings - 'life served on a platter', 'if life gives you a lemon, you make a lemonade' and 'born with a silver spoon'. The inventor of these sayings undoubtedly must have been a foodie, like all of us reading this (oh sorry if you are not & accidently reached this page, you can still drool over the pics).

For me there's another interpretation of this line - served on a platter, than getting the fancy luxuries and comforts of life. It's a reflection of our life & culture, that we pass through our hands. So that tasty dish being served in that beautiful chinaware is not just a dish, but a part of our memory, life, culture, tradition, taste, mood and also attitude. Trust me anything cooked in bad mood & with negative emotions will never taste good. But a well thought dish, made with love will surely pass a happy memory and a healthy habit to your loved ones. Spend few extra minutes before actual cooking, and you will never regret those minutes ever. In those few self-conversational moments you will learn how by replacing a thick slice of cheese to tofu or lettuce in your kid's burger, you are passing a habit and a taste that he might develop for life. A habit of healthy eating. All served on his platter. So go green and pass it on.

Spinach Spaghetti Recipe

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Garlic Cloves - 6-8 (finely chopped/ minced)

Spinach Leaves - 1 cup (roughly chopped)

Spaghetti - 100 gm

Chilly Flakes - 1/2 tbsp

Oregano/ Italian Seasoning - 1-2 tsp (Or as per liking)

Grated Cheese - 1/4 cup (Optional. I didn't use to keep it lighter)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Cook spaghetti al dente, as per the packaging instructions in enough water. Add 1/4 tbsp salt & 3-4 drops of oil to water as well.

Add the spinach, salt and pepper and cook; tossing it gently, until the spinach begins to wilt.

Add pasta, chilly flakes and seasoning to it and mix it well, so that flavours blend well, for 2-3 mins

If desired, and if you feel pasta is too dry, add a little water and let it also mix well.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with grated cheese.

Notes:

Spinach is a very nutrient-dense food, meaning low in calorie but very high in minerals & vitamins. In fact on per calorie basis, spinach has more protein than beef or steak.

Al Dente is the Italian expression of cooking pasta or rice, till its firm but not hard or firm crisp. Another expression is that it 'should have a bite'. And one of the best ways I know to check that out is by the "Line Method'. After the pasta has been cooked till almost the cooking time instructed, mostly it's 9-12 minutes, take a pasta out of the pan and cut it in half. Now if you look closely, you will see either of the following - a white thick line at the tip of the cut pasta, meaning it's undercooked; or no line, meaning it's overcooked, or a very very thin line, meaning it's perfectly cooked. trust me it's the perfect indicator.

Cook this with whole wheat pasta, and up the health quotient by many notches of this wholesome meal.

In my case taste for pasta was passed by my loving husband. Maggi, pasta, rajma & biryani are the only dishes he's ever asked for me to make. In fact during our courtship days, love for maggi & tea was one of the conversation starters. Now since he loves pasta so much, it makes sense to try a few new versions as well. And combined with my love for spinach, it seems like an ideal date!!

I love spaghetti since I was a child. My mom always cooks me, my brothers and my sister whenever it's our birthday or other special occasions that needs celebrating. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Now I can cook for my mom.

@Unknown Well in this case I used the packet of frozen spinach, and it worked well...In India I always used the flat large green spinach (surely not the baby spinach..hope that helps, since I'm not too sure of what all varieties you get in South India...its the same as the one used in palak paneer.